To address a falling attendance rate, Principal Tim Gilliland announced a new attendance incentive for the school year. Students who miss fewer than three days per semester will have the opportunity to miss three days of the year per this incentive.

The plan allows for three non-attendance days at the end of each semester, given that students have three or fewer unexcused absences throughout the semester. The academic qualification is per class while the attendance qualification is by day.

“Our attendance rate last year hit a serious low,” Gilliland said. “We were just above 94 percent, which is pretty bad for Canyon High School. We knew we needed to do something to encourage better attendance.”

The announcement of the incentive left students and staff questioning certain aspects, such as doctor’s appointments, family emergencies and school-sponsored trips.

“School sponsored trips do not count against the attendance incentive,” Gilliland said. “Absences for 4-H activities are the same as a school sponsored trip.”

Gilliland wants students to know that all the normal attendance rules are still in place, and that the goal of the incentive is to give students time off at the end of the semester.

“The one thing I want students to remember is that this does not change attendance laws,” Gilliland said. “You still have to bring doctors notes. It does not change the make-up policy; you still have two days to make up work. This is an extra incentive we added.”

Gilliland said partial day absences will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If a student comes to school, leaves for a doctor’s appointment and comes right back, it will not count against the incentive. Additionally, if a student leaves at 3:00 pm for an appointment, that also will not count against the incentive, as long as a doctors note is provided.

“If you are only gone for part of the day that does not count against you,” Gilliland said. “Absences due to the loss of an immediate family member will not count against the incentive.”

Gilliland said students should prioritize being on time because tardies also affect the incentive.

“Every three tardies makes an absence,” Gilliland said. “That’s the one we want students to remember the most.”

The incentive additionally requires an average of an 80 or higher in each class to earn days off at the end of the semester. Students will be required to attend classes in which they have an average lower than an 80, even if they miss fewer than three days. If a student does not have any absences for the semester, an average of 70 is required.

“We want students to remember regular rules are still in place,” Gilliland said. “This is just an additional plan to help students have time off at the end of the semester.”